Study Desk

Look, God and his priests are with us at our head. The trumpets are ready to sound the charge against you. Israelites, don’t fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”

and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. When the men of Judah raised the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God handed them over to them.

The Israelites were subdued at that time. The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God.

He told the people of Judah to seek the Lord God of their ancestors and to carry out the instruction and the commands.

So he said to the people of Judah, “Let’s build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we sought the Lord our God. We sought him and he gave us rest on every side.” So they built and succeeded.

Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God: “Lord, there is no one besides you to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, Lord our God, for we depend on you, and in your name we have come against this large army. Lord, you are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder you.”

The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded.

For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without instruction,

but when they turned to the Lord God of Israel in their distress and sought him, he was found by them.

Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every possible distress.

Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing among them, for they had defected to him from Israel in great numbers when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their ancestors with all their heart and all their soul.

Whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel would be put to death, young or old, man or woman.

At that time, the seer Hanani came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, “Because you depended on the king of Aram and have not depended on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from you.

but sought the God of his father and walked by his commands, not according to the practices of Israel.

But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I will say whatever my God says.”

When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him.

However, some good is found in you, for you have eradicated the Asherah poles from the land and have decided to seek God.”